Any family Road Trips and Good Times tend to have epic trip stories.

For Father’s Day, we’ll call this one

Fathers and Sons at the learning tree!  As this somewhat blurry photo might suggest.

During our Western Road Trip from Colorado thru Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, into Utah a trip that included me, my dad, brother and nephew.

We had rented a Cruise America RV 30’ Footer we nicknamed BOB 21.

Prior to any trip, details, and logistics are key to some of us on our travels and for our 1^st camping excursion to be a success we tried to plan for everything.

For the most part, we all 4 are novice RV’ers other than times spent with our grandparents on the road so we made sure everyone had something to oversee.  I, for one as the Co-Lead Driver, Navigator and Trip Planner, began assigning a few pre-trip tasks.

Since I knew one of the most “UN-FUN” non-glamorous tasks aboard any RV, I assigned my 10-year-old nephew to be our Black Water Technician and with some guidance from his Dad, Grandfather and Myself we all knew that someone would have to eventually handle it…

So, the boy with months to prep does what any kid in the digital age does he began watching YouTube video’s, Googling and checking out camping websites on his assigned duty (no pun intended).

Four days into our journey it was time as they say to flush the Black Water Tank!  Not only because the USAGE rule was broken day one about 5 minutes into the drive by Grandpy, my brother neglected to get any kind of tank odor maintenance to handle smells.
So beyond the usual 4 guys traveling across the county in a camper smells, we had the additional aroma.

Late into day 4 of our trip we finally pulled into the Canyon Campground in Yellowstone National Park and headed straight to the dump station area. It was time to see everyone put their skills to use.

Out of the camper bounded my nephew and my brother.

At the backside of the camper, they began the task at hand. My brother with grit and determination decided to show the boy a thing or two when it came to camping and started in to work.  Firstly not only forgetting to get any kind of tank odor maintenance he also he forgot any kind of latex or disposable gloves.  So, with a torn napkin in hand, he went about his work in emptying BOB 21.  Well, my brother had only perused the manuals on this type project was unsure which to connect the hose to 1^st or the levers in which to pull. With both our Dad and I watching from afar yet under the watchful eye of his son my nephew made mention that “dad was doing it wrong”!  Well as anyone knows in the relationship of fathers and sons you typically don’t utter the above statement aloud especially in ear shot of dear old dad. With that my brother promptly said what just about any dad does in times such as these “I know what I am doing” …
So with that my brother set a flurry of hand motions, opening valves, moving hoses and muttering words under his breadth and with a slight stream of sweat rolling down his forehead 5 minutes into the project

Still unsure and no Black Water running downstream he says what most dads might not want to say in these modern times. “Son… what do I need to do here” …  With that, my nephew gave in great detail all his YouTube, Googling, Website research knowledge that was needed for the project to be completed.

As for the remainder of our trip, I quietly as this task was being completed I told my nephew that he was getting a field promotion from Blackwater Technician, to that of Sr. Sanitation Engineer assigned one crewman to help in his assignment.

My nephew with an ever-slight smile across his face sat at the learning tree of dad and watched as he was able to “Flush” the Blackwater Tank…

HAPPY FATHERS DAY WEEKEND!